Believe in Me
by Ink Spotz
Summary: Peter Pan finally thought that he had everything he could have wanted. He was finally immortal and magical again. But magic always comes at a price. He thought Henry's death was the only price, but he was wrong. This price will turn Peter Pan's whole world upside down.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He smiled as a surge of power flooded his being. As he lifted from the rocky floor below up into the air, he threw his head backward and reveled in the moment. Finally. He was finally going to be eternally young and powerful. As he hovered above the ground, power surging through his being, he looked down at the ground below.

On the ground knelt next to Henry's body were Emma, Regina, and Neal. He could see the pain etched on all of their faces, the glowing hourglass reflecting off their tears.

"Henry, it's going to be okay. We'll take you back to Storybrooke and it'll all be okay," said Emma, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

_"Their belief will not help them this time," _thought Peter Pan as he threw his head backward once more and looked at the ceiling. _"Henry is dead and gone. He's never going to come back."_

Peter Pan had greedily taken Henry's heart. Was he sorry about it? Not really. When he weighed the facts, he really wasn't eager about dying himself. Yes, he was selfish, but he wasn't about to fix his sin. He had everything he ever wanted for an eternity now and it felt good.

Having Henry's heart inside him, replacing his own magically depleted one, filled him with sudden strength. During the course of the past weeks, he could feel himself dying; he could feel the magic ebbing out of his body in waves. Now it was being replenished with a vengenance. It was like taking a drink of sweet water after dying of dyhydration for weeks. It was such an envigorating feeling.

"I will kill you!" said Emma.

Peter Pan looked back down at them and saw Emma was standing up from the ground. Tears were still fresh on her checks, but he could see the angry fire buring in her eyes. Peter Pan gave her a smirk. She couldn't kill him. He was immortal now.

Before Peter Pan could give her a snarky remark back, he felt something thud hard within his chest. It pounded against his ribs with such a violent force that he clutched his chest in pain.

_"What was..."_

Again the thump occurred. This time it was so painful it set Peter Pan rushing back toward the ground until he was lying sprawled on his back.

_"What is happening to me?"_

Peter Pan propped himself up with his elbows just in time to see Emma come toward him, her sword raised above her head as she got ready to strike him.

Another thump. This time Peter Pan gasped out in pain, causing Emma to realize that he was hurting.

"What is it?" she asked, anger lacing her every word. "Are you having an attack of a guilty concious or something?"

_"Something's wrong with me," _thought Peter Pan as felt another violent thump land against his rib cage.

"Does the shadow have your tongue or something?" asked Emma with a smirk.

Peter Pan tried to think of something sarcastic to say back, but what came out of his mouth next startled him.

"Emma, I'm sorry."

_"Sorry? You're not sorry! If you're sorry, you'd be dead!"_

"You're sorry?" asked Emma. She gave off a short laugh before pressing the tip of her sword against his neck. "Sorry won't bring my son back!"

"Look...I wish I could undo it...but he's dead," said Peter Pan.

_"Stop being so nice! You don't care if he's dead!"_

"Too late for well wishes Pan," said Emma. "I don't care if you're immortal or not. I'll figure out a way to kill you."

"Please...I liked Henry and he wouldn't want you to kill me," stammered Peter Pan.

That's when he felt something wet sliding down his cheeks. He reached up and gasped at the realization. Those were tears falling down his face. Why was he crying? He wasn't sorry! As soon as he thought that, another violent thump.

"How would you know?" said Emma as she got ready for the kill.

"Emma, leave Pan alone for now," shouted out Neal, jerking Emma from her rage. "Regina says that if we have any hope of saving Henry's life, we have to get him back to Storybrooke now!"

Even though Emma wanted to slit Peter Pan's throat, she backed away from him and went back to her son. With the sword now off his neck, Peter Pan sat up. His chest still hurt, but at least the thumping had stopped. Now that the thumping had stopped, he could think clearly again. However, before he could think too long, he was overcome with an incredible wave of guilt. Guilt? He tried to tell himself he wasn't sorry, but he couldn't because it was no longer true. That's when Peter Pan realized the terrifying truth.

Peter Pan looked at Emma as she scooped up Henry in her arms. Regina, Neal, and Emma started to make their way toward the stairs. He had to stop them and tell them what was happening.

Peter Pan rose from the ground and ran up to Emma, grabbing her tightly by the arm.

"Emma, wait!"

Emma stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Peter Pan. She saw the bewildered look in his eyes and wondered what was going on, but shook it off as one of Pan's manipulation tactics.

"What do you want Pan? You're not going to stop me! If you try, I'll kill you."

"It's Henry's heart...it's..."

"I don't care what my son's heart is doing unless it's beating inside his body!" screamed out Emma.

She turned his back on him once more and disappeared down the stairs with Regina and Neal.

Peter Pan sat down on the ground to ponder his predicament. He never thought in a million years that this would happen to him. He had thought taking the heart of the truest believer would grant him immortality and power for life. And it had. He could feel the magical power surging through every part of his body.

What he hadn't realized was that having the heart of the truest believer inside him had changed him a lot more than magically. Now he was no longer a bad guy. Having Henry's heart inside him had changed him into a good guy.

* * *

**AN: I know I based it off the recent episode of "Once Upon A Time", but I couldn't help myself. Please review if you would like to see this continue. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Peter Pan paced back and forth, trying to think of what to do.

"You aren't good," said Peter out loud to himself. "You don't care about them."

He was trying to coach himself. He was hoping that this was just a temporary side effect. He hoped that once his body got used to the new heart that everything would go back to normal.

As Peter Pan continued to pace, he saw another him appear. This him looked pure evil, you could see the evil that radiated from the core of his being.

"Your past has found you at last," hissed the alternate Peter as it stared at the real Peter in his worried state.

Peter Pan stopped pacing and turned to wheel on this figment of his imagination.

"I deserve this," he replied.

The other him smiled and walked toward Pan until he was right in front of his face.

"You have a heart now," said the other him, smiling evilly.

Peter Pan didn't say anything. While he may have had a heart in the literal sense, he didn't in the figurative. His alternate self was right. Peter Pan hated to admit that, but all the sins of his past now felt like they were weighing him down as guilt consumed him.

"You regret your decisions now," said his alternate self. "How peculiar. Especially coming from a selfish boy like you."

"I was selfish, but I won't be anymore!" stated Peter Pan, once more startling himself.

"That's hard for you to say when you took Henry's heart," hissed the alternate Peter, "And have killed him by doing so."

"I'll figure out a way to fix this," said Peter Pan determined.

Peter Pan was shocked at the goodness that was emanating from him, but he wasn't going to fight against it. It surprisingly felt good to finally own up to his flaws.

"You disappoint me," stated his alternate self. "After gaining youth for years, you just want to throw it all away."

"It's time for me to do what's right," declared Peter Pan.

"I know you Pan, better than anyone else, because I'm part of you. There's no way to hide who you really are forever. Yes, you have me buried for now due to your great grandson's heart, but mark my words, there will come a day when I'll resurface and everyone that you think you care about will be hurt by you."

His alternate self turned his back on Peter Pan and disappeared into the night. Once his alternate self had disappeared back to wherever it had come from, Peter Pan sighed. He really wanted to fix everything. There had to be a way to fix things. Henry couldn't really be dead.

Peter Pan turned and looked at Pandora's box. He had trapped his son in there. Maybe Rumple, his son, could help him figure out how to save the life of his great grandson. Peter Pan walked over to the box and picked it up. He looked at it carefully and wondered what his son was thinking as he stewed in there. If he released him, he knew that it would cause him a world of hurt, but it was one that he deserved. He had abandoned his son; he had chosen youth over him and now that Henry's heart had transformed him into a good guy, it was time for him to own up to it.

Peter waved his hand over the box and it clicked open, maroon fog rolling out of the top of the cube and onto the ground. As Peter Pan watched Rumple take shape again, tears started to slip down his cheeks. How could he have done this to his son? Would his son ever be able to forgive him?

* * *

Emma, Neal, and Regina walked at a brisk pace through the forest. They needed to get Henry back home as fast as they could.

"Emma, I'm sorry," said Neal as they walked. "I feel like I'm the one to blame."

Emma didn't stop walking to address Neal. Instead she said, "No Neal. We're all to blame. We both abandoned him and Regina tried to make him her son. He had a reason for having a little bit of distrust with all of us even if he didn't want to admit it."

Just then, Snow and Charming appeared. When they saw the solemn looks on their faces and Henry lying limp in Emma's arms, they reeled back in terror.

"What happened to Henry?" asked Snow as she looked at Henry lying in Emma's arms.

"Pan took his heart," said Neal answering for Emma since she was crying too hard at this point to answer.

"How did he do that?" asked Charming as he looked at his grandson in horror.

"He convinced Henry that by giving him his heart, he'd save magic," said Neal. "He wouldn't listen to us. He desperately wanted to be a hero."

"Oh but he was already a hero. He reunited our family," said Snow, tears racing down her cheek. "Emma, I'm so sorry."

"There's still hope," said Emma, her voice sounding hoarse due to her crying. "Regina said that if we got him back to Storybrooke we may have a chance."

"Is that true?" asked Snow immediately turning her gaze to Regina.

"I think so," said Regina. "Hopefully it'll work, but we have to leave now if we have any chance."

When Regina said the word "now", a look passed between Snow and Charming.

"I can't leave now. I don't have the water yet," said Charming. "Snow, I want you to go with Emma, I'll be fine."

Snow started to cry. This was all too much to handle, but he was right. Her daughter needed her more at the moment. Snow ran forward and hugged Charming, burying her face in his chest.

"I will come back for you," she declared. "I promise."

As they broke from their embrace, Charming gave her a small smile. He ruffled her hair and said, "I know you will. Now go. Get Henry home."

"What about Hook and Rumple?" asked Snow.

"I'll find them," said Charming.

"No need to mate," said Hook as he suddenly appeared with Tink and Wendy.

"Aren't you suppose to be back at camp with the Lost Boys?" asked Snow looking at them.

"Aw Regina's spell will keep them knocked out for a good while. Besides Tink and I tied them all up," said Hook with a shrug of his shoulders.

That's when he noticed Emma holding her limp son. Immediately pain sprang to his eyes, seeing the woman that he loved so distraught.

"You didn't make it?" asked Hook in disbelief.

"No, we made it, but Henry didn't want to listen to me. Pan had already manipulated him too much," choked out Emma.

"We're taking him back to Storybrooke. I think I have something there that can cure him," said Regina.

"I want to go with you," piped up Wendy. "I want to go home to Michael and John."

Neal nodded his head in understanding.

"You can come," said Neal with a smile.

"I take it Charming is staying here because of his condition, right?" asked Hook.

"Yes," replied Regina. "We don't have time to gather the water before we have to leave. We'll come back for him."

"Then I'll stay with him until you return," volunteered Hook without a second thought.

"Really?" asked Charming turning to look at Hook with a raised eyebrow.

"Yea. I can't have you getting attacked by Pan and the Lost Boys alone now can I?" asked Hook. "This hook isn't just for decoration you know."

Charming smiled at Hook's comment.

"Thank you Hook! I appreciate that," said Charming.

"But where's Rumple?" asked Snow somehow perturbed by his absence. "Didn't he go with you guys?"

"I think Pan got to him. My father tried to confront Pan with Pandora's box. I'm taking it that it didn't go too well," said Neal.

"We'll go save him," said Charming. "Don't worry Neal."

It was hard to tell what Neal was thinking and feeling at that moment, but Neal finally said, "I won't. My worry is focused on my son right now."

Charming nodded his head in understanding.

"We've got to get going now," said Regina growing antsy.

"Alright lets go," said Neal. "Emma, how about you let me carry Henry for a little bit?"

"No," sobbed Emma. "I'm going to carry Henry."

Neal knew better than to argue with a distraught mother. Neal started to walk away into the trees followed closely by Regina, Emma, Snow, and Wendy.

When the five of them had disappeared, Charming turned to look at Hook and said, "You ready to go save Rumple?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," said Hook with a smile. "Lets go make that little brat Pan pay. Lets show him that he messed with the wrong people."

* * *

**AN: Oh my word! I couldn't believe the amount of responses that I got for this story in the span of 24 hours. The views have skyrocketed past 400 and the reviews/follows/and favorites are unbelievable! Thank you for believing in this story! I hope that you continue to like it and please continue to review/follow/favorite! I look forward to hearing what you think! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The maroon fog finally formed into Rumple. Rumple looked down at his hands, wondering if he was just dreaming of being free of Pandora's box. Though he had only been in there for thirty minutes or so, it had felt like a lifetime; a lifetime trapped in the darkness of despair.

The next question that came to Rumple's mind after he realized that he really was free from the box and wasn't dreaming, was who had freed him. He thought that maybe his son, Neal, had freed him from the box. If so, Rumple was touched. His son finally forgave him for abandoning him in the past and knew that that wasn't going to happen again in the present.

However, when Rumple turned around to face his rescuer he was certainly not expecting Peter Pan, his father, the one who had trapped him in that box in the first place, to be the one to release him.

Staring at Pan, he could see tears silently running down his face. The look in his eyes was no longer one of hatred or revenge, now it was softer like he was actually sorry or scared.

"Why'd you free me?" asked Rumple.

Peter tried to think of something to say, anything to say, but he was too choked up by emotions to reply.

"Are you gonna answer me?" asked Rumple. "Or are you just going to stand there and pretend I'm not here?"

"I freed you because I'm sorry," choked out Peter Pan finally.

"You're what?" asked Rumple not sure if he heard him right.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I treated you in the past and I want to try to fix my mistakes in the present if I can."

Rumple was in utter disbelief. This had to be some kind of joke. There was no way that his father was sorry for the way that he had treated him. This had to be some kind of act or something.

"You're sorry?" asked Rumple, anger edging his way into his voice. "That's like saying that I'm not the dark one."

"But I am," pleaded Peter Pan. " I really am. That's why I freed you from the box. I want to try to make amends with you."

"Amends? Are you sick or something? What's wrong with you? You've never cared about me before in your entire life!" shouted Rumple.

"I know! But you're my son and no matter what happened in my life, I always regretted trading you for youth!"

Rumple stumbled backward a little in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. As he wondered why his father was acting the way he was, the probable solution came to mind.

"You did it didn't you?" asked Rumple. "You took Henry's heart. That's why you're acting so good all of a sudden. It's because Henry's heart has changed you."

"Yes, I did take Henry's heart," admitted Peter Pan. "And I feel so rotten abou-"

"Don't," said Rumple holding up his hand to silence Peter Pan. "Just stop."

Peter Pan looked at the pain and confusion that he was causing his own son. He started to walk toward Rumple, who had turned his back to him. As soon as he was standing right next to Rumple, he did something that was totally unaccustomed to him.

"I'm really sorry son for being such an awful father," said Peter Pan as he grabbed Rumple and hugged him.

Rumple was taken back by his father's sudden display of affection. He looked down at Pan who was clutching him tight and he felt tears start to gather in the corners of his eyes. He had always wanted his father to be with him. He had always wanted to spend his life with his father, but he had been abandoned. Could his father really be sorry for all the sins that he committed?

"I'm so sorry Rumple," said Peter Pan, answering Rumple's unspoken question.

As tears started to fall from Rumple's eyes, he hugged his father back and said, "I'm sorry too, but I can't believe you."

Peter Pan withdrew from the hug to look into Rumple's eyes and saw all the years of pain and abandonment reflected in them.

"I understand. I figured that it would take more to mend our realtionship, but I'm willing to work at it," said Pan. "Please don't shut me out of your life."

"I can't guarentee that I won't," said Rumple. "I just can't bring myself to trust that everything will be okay between us again."

Peter Pan nodded his head in response to Rumple's statement, understanding completely where his son was coming from. He hoped that it wasn't too late to regain his son's trust and forgiveness.

As Rumple stood there and looked at his father, he suddenly understood how his son, Neal, felt. He had abandoned him and tried to re-enter his life years later. He desperately wanted his son to forgive him and let him back in his life too, but now he understood why he couldn't because he was facing the same thing with his father.

"Where's Henry?" asked Rumple changing the topic, trying to shake those thoughts from his mind.

"Emma, Neal, and Regina took him. They are trying to get him back to Storybrooke to heal him," said Peter Pan.

"Well then we'd better go catch up with them," said Rumple.

"We?" asked Pan.

"Of course. They're going to need Henry's heart back if they ever have a hope of resurrecting him," said Rumple.

"But Regina..."

"She isn't seeing the facts straight. I've been working with magic longer than her and I know there is no other way," said Rumple. "Now, if you are as sorry as you claim to be, you'll want to come with me and put things right."

"Alright lets go then," said Peter Pan.

As he followed behind Rumple as they descended the stairs, he heard him mutter, "How is Regina planning on healing someone with no heart?"

_"I had no heart," _thought Pan, _"And I got healed. It isn't impossible."_

* * *

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" asked Charming as he got smacked in the face with a branch.

"Yes," said Hook with a sigh. "It'd be kinda hard to miss a huge skull rock in the middle of the ocean."

"Good thing that you sent Tink back to watch the Lost Boys," said Charming. "I'm sure they are awake by now."

"Yep, she can totally handle those boys. I have no doubt about that," said Hook.

As they continued to walk through the forest, Hook suddenly heard the bushes off to his right rustle.

"Hold up mate," said Hook holding out an arm and stopping Charming in his tracks. "We might have been detected."

Both Charming and Hook stood still for a moment, waiting to see what was going to step through the bushes. Hook grabbed his sword out of his sheath at his side, mirroring Charming's actions. They both held their swords in front of them as the person that was making the rustling noise stepped forth from the bushes.

"Rumple! You're okay!" exclaimed Charming in relief.

"Well I guess we can rest easy now," said Hook as he got ready to return his sword to his sheath like Charming. "It's just Rumple."

That's when Peter Pan appeared out of the bushes from behind Rumple and stood beside him. That immediately caused both Charming and Hook to place their swords at the ready again.

"What's he doing here?" asked Hook, shooting a glare at Peter Pan.

Rumple took a deep breath and said, "Guys, I want you to meet my father."

* * *

**AN: Now I can just see you all screaming at your computers screens, wondering why I decided to leave it on a cliffhanger like that. I have no good excuse! ;) **

**Thank you for all the views/reviews/follows/favorites that you continue to give this story! It's so unbelievable and flattering to me as an aspiring writer. Please keep it up! I love hearing from you! I read every single review! Thanks so much for continuing to read this story and you'll want to stick with it. Things are just starting to heat up. This is just the beginning. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Before you proceed with reading this chapter, I suggest that you go back to Chapter 2 and reread the beginning part. I have had to change it because I had made a mistake. By reading the first part of Chapter 2 again, you'll be less confused by this chapter. **

**I really hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

Chapter 4

Emma, Regina, and Wendy were standing on the beach, waiting for Neal to finish fixing their ride home. As they stood there waiting for Neal to finish, Emma kept looking down at Henry's pale face and trying to restrain herself from crying anymore.

"How could I have let this happen to you?" Emma whimpered. "I was such an awful mother to you."

"Emma, don't beat yourself up about this. There is nothing that anybody could have done," said Regina.

Emma blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes again and looked at Regina.

"I could have been his mother from the beginning. I could have not abandoned him when he was an infant. Don't tell me that there is nothing that I could have done because there was," said Emma looking at Regina with pained eyes.

Regina turned away from Emma, not knowing what else she could say to comfort her. Emma was a heartbroken mother. She had to give her room to grieve.

So, instead of standing next to Emma while she mourned her son, she walked over to Neal who was busy fixing their ride home.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" asked Regina raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Neal. "I am. I've escaped here before."

Regina was honestly doubting Neal's abilties at this point. All he had in his posession for getting them home was a coil of rope and the coconut that encased Peter's shadow.

But, who was Regina to doubt Neal? He could be the key to saving Henry's life and Regina wasn't about to risk losing Henry. Even though he wasn't actually her son, she had treated him like that. Henry was the one who had helped her to try to curve away from the path of evil. He couldn't be dead.

For if he was dead, what reason did she have anymore for staying good?

* * *

"Excuse me?" asked Hook. "You want to try running that by us one more time?"

"Peter Pan is my father," repeated Rumple.

Rumple's face held a mixture of grief and anger. Charming and Hook exchanged a look, neither of them quite sure how to tread forward on this delicate subject.

Peter Pan was still standing beside Rumple, now staring down at the ground instead of at Charming or Hook. He wasn't scared by either of them. He was just ashamed of all of his sins that were about to come to light.

"But...but he's...how?" Hook stammered, trying to make everything make sense in his mind.

"Do you want me to tell them or do you want to?" asked Rumple turning to look at his father.

Peter Pan looked up at his son and saw the pain reflected there. He took a deep breath before saying, "I will."

Peter Pan looked at Charming and Hook and said, "Rumple and I came here when he was just a child to have a new beginning; to start a life where we could live together as new people with a new identity. I was the one who suggested we come to Neverland since I was here when I was a kid. When I got here, I discovered that I couldn't enjoy Neverland's riches because I wasn't young like my son was. My shadow, which I had lost the first time I was here, helped me to come up with a plan. He said if I traded Rumple for youth, I'd get it. Unfortunately that is exactly what I did."

"So you're saying that you're Rumpelstiltskin's father?" asked Charming.

"Yes," said Peter Pan. "And I regret trading him. I should have stayed with him and we could've had a great life together."

"Someone's singing a different tune even though they've murdered someone, you rotten-" said Hook as he lunged toward Peter Pan, sword ready.

"Now Hook," said Charming sticking out his arm and stopping Hook from reaching Peter. "Ease up a little. We don't need any unnecessary bloodshed."

"I deserve it. You don't have to stop him to protect my sorry excuse of a life," said Peter.

Charming eyed Peter Pan wearily.

"What has gotten into you?" asked Charming.

"It's Henry's heart," said Rumple. "Apparently its effect on Pan's system is more powerful than he thought. It has converted him."

"But before you say anything," said Pan, seeing that Hook was about to have some choice words with him. "I'm willing to give Henry his heart back in order to save him."

"But I thought Regina thought of a way?" asked Charming. "Are you saying she lied?"

Charming looked at Rumple, waiting for him to provide him an answer.

"Regina has always had an evil side. That was evident. Now that Henry is dead, the only solution that she sees is burying Henry so she can move on from her past and become who she truly is again," said Rumple.

"You don't mean..."

"Yes. Pan isn't the only one who was converted due to Henry's death," said Rumple grimly. "Now that Regina thinks Henry's dead, she is turning evil again."

* * *

**AN: You guys are the best readers on the face of the earth! You have made this story so fun to update! Thank you so much! If you would like to see more, please continue to review/follow/favorite. Thanks and have a great day! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"We've got to warn Emma and Snow," said Charming, immediately worrying about the welfare of his daughter and wife, getting ready to bolt back into the trees to go figure out where they had disappereared to.

"Hold up," said Hook, gripping Charming by his sleeve. "I'm not letting us go anywhere until we figure out what to do with _him_."

Peter knew that the "him" that was spoken as if it were poison, implicated him. He felt the shame inside him rush to his cheeks, causing him to blush.

"He's coming with us," said Rumple. "Because we need Henry's heart."

"Why don't we just rip it out now and carry it with us?" asked Hook.

Rumple looked at Hook as if he had lost his mind.

"Because, hearts are fragile outside their body and if something happened to happen to Henry's heart, do you really want to be the one that the revenge is taken out on?"

Peter knew that Rumple could yank the heart out of him right now and Rumple could certainly think of a way to carry the heart safely back to Henry. Was Rumple really grabbling for excuses? Did that mean that he really cared about him after all?

Hook rolled his eyes, irritated that Rumple was defending Pan. Hook wanted to hurt Pan for causing such pain to Emma. Hook loved Emma and he hated to see her like this. He wanted to see her happy for once.

"Lets go find them then, shall we?" asked Hook before turning his back on them and walking through the trees.

Rumple looked down at his feet. Peter had no idea why he did that. He never looked away from them. It was like he was ashamed or something. That's when it hit Peter. Rumple was ashamed that he was his father. The guilt that Peter was feeling in that instant seemed like it was eating him alive.

Charming was still standing rooted to his spot, staring at Rumple and Peter.

"So...this is awkward," said Charming finally breaking the silence. "You sure Peter's your father Rumple? He didn't blackmail you in to protecting him did he?"

Rumple looked up at Charming and locking eyes with him said, "No one can black mail me."

That sentence was said so definitevly that Charming didn't bother to push the matter anymore. Instead he turned his eyes on Pan and said, "How about you walk with me for a bit?"

Peter heard the anger that Charming was trying to keep holed inside him within that sentence. Charming had every right to be mad at him though. He _did_ trade Charming's grandson's life for his own. Hanging his head, Peter walked over to Charming. Charming wrapped an arm around Peter's shoulder and squeezed it tight as he dragged him into the forest after Hook. Rumple followed behind them.

Charming's grip on Peter was so tight it was starting to hurt, but he didn't say anything. Charming must have been scared that Peter would try to make a run for it.

_"But you can't run from your destiny," _thought Peter Pan as they continued to walk, _"And it's time I finally owned up to mine."_

* * *

"There. Done," said Neal as he smiled. "We're ready to go!"

Regina saw that Neal had tied the rope to the bottom half of the coconut. As the rope continued, there were various looped "handles" that were tied in the rope. Regina had absolutely no idea what he was thinking.

"This is your way off this island?" asked Regina.

"Yes," said Neal simply. "Now come on. There's no time to waste."

Emma walked stiffly toward the rope, Henry still in her arms. Regina looked at Emma and Henry and that's when something inside her snapped. Who was she kidding? Henry was dead! Why was she trying to protect Emma by feeding her a lie? The only way that there was a slim chance of Henry being healed was if he was given his heart back, but she didn't see Pan doing that anytime soon. With them carrying a dead Henry around, it was just a reminder of her past. Whenever she tried to be good, someone that she loved always died. She was good when she was younger and the love of her life, Daniel, was killed. Then she tried to go be on the good side again and Henry had gotten killed. What was the use? It was time for her to turn back into the person that she was used to; the person who never got hurt. It was time for her to turn back into the evil queen.

"I lied," said Regina as Emma was about to fasten Henry to the rope.

"Excuse me?" asked Emma turning to look at Regina in confusion.

"I lied," she repeated, "About Henry. There's no hope for him. He's dead."

"What?" growled Emma in a deadly whisper.

"Henry's dead. Pan has his heart. It's game over Emma," said Regina.

"Then why did you tell me there was hope?" asked Emma, flashes of fiery anger burning in her eyes.

"Because I'm evil," she said with a small smile, relishing in the fact that she was becoming her old self again; a self that she was confident in.

Emma looked down at Henry, trying to figure out which emotion she wanted to let win over her. Should she give in to her anger? Or her broken heart?

Neal and Wendy both looked at Regina as if they were looking at a stranger.

"You should have listened to the little girl there," said Regina pointing at Wendy, "She was right. If Pan took Henry's heart, which he did, he would die, which he did."

"You're lying Regina," said Neal. "My son isn't dead."

"So now he's your son?" said Regina turning to look at him dead on.

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Neal, clenching his fists at his side. "Henry was always my son."

"Then where were you when Henry was born? Why weren't you a father figure in his life earlier?" asked Regina.

"You know why Regina. Stop trying to prod me," said Neal.

Regina rolled her eyes at Neal and turned her attention back on Emma.

"Emma, he's dead. We have to bury our past and move on," said Regina.

"Henry is not a part of my past. He's a part of me period. How can you treat him like he wasn't a real human being?" asked Emma.

"I'm use to being hurt," said Regina. "I've learned to separate myself from my feelings. You should do the same. It's time we moved on Emma. Lets bury Henry now. We can't carry dead weight back with us to Storybrooke. It'll just slow us down."

"Henry is _not_ dead weight!" said Emma. "And I'm _not _leaving him here."

"Suit yourself," said Regina with a shrug of her shoulders. "Leave yourself floundering in the past, but it'll get you no where."

Regina walked toward the coconut that encased Pan's shadow. She grabbed the rope tightly with one hand and grabbed the coconut up with the other.

"Don't do it Regina," said Neal. "You wouldn't leave us stranded here would you?"

"If you all want to pretend that Henry is still alive instead of looking at the big picture and moving on, then what better place to stay than in Neverland, the land where anything is possible," said Regina with a smirk.

Before anyone could say anything else to her, she uncapped the top of the coconut. As Pan's shadow started to fly free, Regina tugged on the rope and the part of the rope that was tied around the bottom half of the coconut quickly found itself tightened around one of shadow Pan's legs.

Pan's shadow started to lift the rope in to the air as it started to fly away. Regina gripped the rope tight as she was lifted into the sky.

"Don't let her get away!" shouted Emma.

Neal raced for the rope which was rushing across the ground as it got ready to go sky bound. Neal dove for the rope in an attempt to grab it, but missed. Before any of them realized it, Regina and Pan's shadow had disappeared into the sky overhead, leaving them trapped in Neverland.

* * *

**AN: Again, would love to hear what you think! Please review! Thank you once more for reading and I'll try to update again soon so you aren't stuck here. ;) **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They continued to walk through the forest; Charming still keeping his iron tight grip on Pan's shoulder.

"Okay, we're taking a ten minute break," stated Hook stopping suddenly.

"We're lost, aren't we?" asked Charming with a raised eyebrow.

"No," said Hook seeming rattled. "I just need to...I need to gather my bearings."

"Alright then. We'll take a break," said Charming.

Rumple leaned against a wide tree and slid his back down it until he was sitting on the ground slumped against it. Hook walked off into the trees, no doubt to get the breather that he craved. Charming watched Hook wander off and let go of Pan's shoulder.

"Don't run or I will find you," said Charming as he looked into Peter's eyes.

Peter just nodded his head to indicate that he understood Charming's threat. Charming turned his back on Pan and went to go see where Hook had disappeared to, leaving Pan alone with Rumple.

Peter Pan walked over to Rumple and stared down at him. It was time that they had another talk since the first one didn't go so well.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked as he eyed the space next to Rumple against the tree.

Rumple didn't reply. Instead he stared straight ahead of him into the bushes.

"Okay then. I'll take that as a no," said Pan as he sat down next to Rumple, leaning his back against the rough bark.

Rumple still didn't reply. Peter could sense the anger that was brewing inside him.

"I know that you're angry at me. I'm angry at myself." Still no answer from Rumple so Pan continued, "That day that I let you go, I wish I could rewind. The pain that was on your face, your screams for me to not let you go, have haunted my dreams every night since. In a way, I thought it was best to let you go. I was not fit to be your father when I was more worried about my own happiness." Tears were starting to trickle out of Pan's eyes, causing him to reach a hand up and wipe them away. "I'm sorry Rumple for letting you go. I really am. Please allow me to have a chance to start over, for us to have a life together, just like you've always wanted since you were a little boy."

Rumple still stared straight ahead. Pan turned sideways to look at him and as the tears still ran down his cheeks, he gripped Rumple's arm. That's when he noticed that a few silent tears were escaping Rumple's eyes and running down his cheeks.

"Why was youth so important to you?" asked Rumple suddenly, breaking his silence. "Was I really such an awful child to raise?"

"No Rumple. You weren't awful. I was the awful one. I just wanted to start over. I wanted to erase my past mistakes, none of which included you. You were the best thing that could have ever happened to me and youth took you from me," said Pan. "I wish I could take back all those wasted years. I wish I could have been the father that you needed."

More tears trickled down Rumple's face. Pan reached up a hand, hesitating briefly before wiping the tear away. Rumple gasped at Pan's sudden gesture of affection.

"Peter...don't."

A lump the size of a rock formed in Peter's throat. His own son couldn't forgive him. He deserved that though, but why wouldn't his son let him fix his mistakes?

"What are you bottling up inside you Rumple? What's making it so you can't forgive me?" asked Peter. "I want you to talk to me. I want to fix things between us."

Rumple turned toward Pan with hurt in his eyes.

"How am I suppose to forgive you and call you my father when you abandoned me? How am I suppose to forgive you and call you my father when you tried to steal my son from me once? How am I suppose to forgive you and call you my father when you killed my grandson? How am I suppose to forgive you and call you my father when you...when you..."

Rumple's voice trailed off as his emotions got the best of him. Rumple turned away from Pan and went back to staring at the trees. Rumple never showed this much emotion before, but his father seemed to be digging up deep scars within his past that were still hurting him.

"Son, I love you. Now and forever, how about we wipe the slat between us clean? Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?"

Rumple turned to look at Peter Pan, his eyes displaying all the things that his mouth could not.

"You want the same thing between you and your son Baelfire right? Then can't we be the example that he looks up to?" asked Pan with a trace of hope in his voice.

"I'll forgive you," choked out Rumple finally after studying him for a moment, "But I can't call you father. Not yet. That'll come in time once I know for sure you aren't going to revert back to your old self."

More tears escaped Pan's eyes and ran down his face. Without thinking, Pan leaned over and hugged his son tight.

"Thank you son. Your father's here now and he'll never leave you again."

For the first time in decades, Rumple leaned over and hugged his father back.

* * *

"Hook, what's wrong with you?" asked Charming.

Charming had just emerged from the trees to see Hook hovering near the edge of a cliff, looking out at the midnight blue waves of the ocean.

"What do you mean what's wrong with me?" asked Hook. "I'm fine."

"You've been grumpy about something ever since Rumple and Peter found us," said Charming. "Care to tell me why?"

Hook continued to stare out over the ocean as Charming walked up and stood beside him.

"Is it about Peter?" asked Charming, trying to get an answer out of Hook.

"Why do you bloody care about how I'm feeling?" snapped Hook suddenly.

"I care about you Hook," said Charming with a small smile. "We're friends and friends need to talk to each other about what's eating them before it consumes them."

Hook turned to look at Charming with a sad look before saying, "Yes, Pan is part of the reason I'm so on edge."

"Why?" asked Charming.

"He took Henry's heart. He hurt Emma. I could kill him for hurting Emma like he did. I've never seen so much pain, so much despair, in her eyes before."

"You really love her, don't you?" asked Charming.

Hook turned his focus back on the ocean before replying, "More than anything."

Silence lingered in the air between them for a second before Hook said, "I have to ask you something Charming."

"Okay, sure," said Charming.

"...I mean, since we are friends and all and you said friends should talk and..."

"Hook, just tell me," said Charming with a small laugh. "You don't have to be afraid."

Charming had never seen Hook this nervous before. What could possibly be running through his head?

Hook turned to look Charming in the eyes. Charming could see fear reflected in Hook's eyes.

"...Now...this is only if Emma agrees mind you,..."

"Hook, what are you getting at?" asked Charming.

"If Emma agrees, will you let me have her hand?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" asked Charming.

Hook nodded his head as he said, "Yes, I'm asking your permission to marry your daughter."

* * *

**AN: So, what do you think? Let me know in a review! Can't wait to hear from all of you! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I can't believe Regina just did that," muttered Neal in disbelief, sitting up and brushing the sand off him.

Emma didn't say anything. Instead she looked down in agony at Henry.

Neal looked at Emma who was still on the ground with Henry, and slowly started to walk toward her. Henry's skin color had seemed to turn whiter than it was before. With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, Neal realized that Regina might have been telling the truth after all.

"Emma," said Neal as he stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I think Regina might be right."

Tears slipped out of Emma's eyes. She had never cried this much in her entire life. It was making her feel weak and exhausted. Yet, she didn't want to believe that Henry was dead. Her son couldn't be dead.

Neal walked around Emma and knelt in front of her face. He smiled a tender smile at her before reaching out a hand and wiping away some of the tears that were falling down her face.

"Emma..."

"Neal, I'm not ready to let Henry go," said Emma as she looked up at Neal and locked eyes with him.

"I know Emma. It's hard on me too. That's our son."

As Neal said that, a lump formed in his throat. His son. Neal stared down at Henry and tried to keep himself from crying. When Neal looked back up at Emma, he saw pain reflected in her eyes.

"Emma, it's okay. We have each other. We'll get through this," assured Neal. "One way or another."

Emma just nodded her head, too choked up to speak.

Neal reached forward and stroked the back of Emma's head before leaning in and kissing her. He could feel her hot tears hit his cheeks. When they backed away from their kiss, Emma studied Neal for a minute before asking, "How do we move on without crumbling even more?"

"We'll figure out a way together, " said Neal, pressing his forehead against hers. "You're not alone in this Emma."

The whole time, Wendy stood a little ways away. It was as if they had forgotten her presence. Wendy felt her heart thump heavily within her chest as guilt gnawed away at her. It was all her fault that this had happened. She shouldn't have listened to Pan and deceived Henry or none of this might be happening.

How long until their agony turned into anger and targeted her?

As Neal helped Emma to rise to her feet, they stared at Wendy. Wendy gulped, trying to keep her heart from exploding. Emma eyed Wendy and that's when rage overcame her.

"It's your fault that Henry is dead!" screamed out Emma. "I hope you're happy!"

"I couldn't help it!" cried out Wendy in defense. "Pan threatened my brothers!"

Emma walked up the beach to Wendy and stood right in her face as she said, "You could have helped it. We all have choices that we have to make and you made the wrong one."

"Emma, lay off Wendy," said Neal. "We'll have time to sort it all out later. Right now, we have to do something."

Trying not to shake with anger, Emma turned her back on Wendy and went back down the beach to where Neal and Henry were.

Neal was right. They had something to do.

It was time to bury Henry.

* * *

"You want to marry Emma?" asked Charming.

"Yes," said Hook. "Will you grant me permission?"

Charming looked out across the ocean for a minute as he pondered Hook's request and how to answer it. Finally, after a couple minutes of silence, Charming looked up at Hook and replied, "I always thought you were a rotten pirate-"

"So I take it your answer is no?" asked Hook.

"I'm not finished. You didn't give me a chance to speak," said Charming.

Hook immediately closed his mouth and nodded his head to indicate that he wanted Charming to continue.

"I always thought you were a rotten pirate, _but_ you proved me wrong. You saved my life and I know that you brought comfort to Emma while Neal was missing. I can see that you truly love my daughter and I feel that she will be safe in your hands. So, yes I give you my permission, but the decision is still up to Emma. I'm not going to force her to marry you. She'll have to decide whether she wants to marry you or Neal, who also has my blessing."

"I understand," said Hook. "Thank you for granting me permission though."

"Certainly Hook. You are one pirate who deserves a happy ending," said Charming with a smile. "Now, are we ready to go back to Rumple and Pan and continue our quest to find the others?"

"Yea," said Hook. "Lets go."

* * *

When Pan and Rumple stopped hugging, silence hung in the air between the two of them once more. Neither of them were sure how to start this new beginning.

"So...how has your life been all this time?" asked Pan.

"Fine," said Rumple. "There's a lot that you missed you know."

"I know," said Pan. "But maybe you can catch me up?"

Rumple turned to look at Pan and said, "You realize that'll take years?"

"I have all the time in the world," said Pan with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere."

Rumple smiled a small smile and began telling Pan everything. He told him about his first wife, his son Baelfire, how he became the dark one, and even how he had a new love interest in his life now.

"Belle," mused Pan as Rumple stopped talking, "That's a beautiful name. I bet she's a keeper Rumple."

"Yes, she's a keeper," said Rumple. "I just hope that I have the chance to see her again someday."

"You will," said Pan with a smile. "You will. Just believe."

Silence hung in the air between them once more. Rumple leaned back against the tree and thought for a while. It was great having his father back in his life. He didn't want to admit that he had actually missed his father all these years, but he had. However, the more he sat there, the more a nagging fear kept resurfacing in his head.

_"Henry was suppose to be your undoing, but now he's dead. Your father has his heart now. Does that mean that the seer actually meant your father will be your undoing?"_

Rumple looked at Pan and as he did, Peter gave him a smile and asked, "What are you thinking about Rumple?"

"Nothing," said Rumple with a shrug, trying to dismiss the thought, but not being able to.

Only time would tell unfortunately who would be Rumple's undoing.

And that time was creeping closer.

* * *

**AN: I really hope that you all liked this update! I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Please keep up reviewing and sharing! Thank you so much for your continued support! I will try to update again very soon! :D**


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